Improved grain-drier



L. S: .-CHICHESTER.

Grain Drier. No. 47,596. Patented .May 2, 1865.

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g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS S. CHICHESTER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF ANDGLARKW. MILLS, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVED GRAIN-DRIER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 47,596, dated May 2,1865;'antedated April 15, 1865.

To all whom it .may concern:

Be it known that I,LEw1s S. GHIcHEsTER, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented and made a certain new anduseful Improvement in Grain- Driers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description ot the saidinvention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part ofthis specification, wherein- Figure l is avertical section of myimproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan of the saine near the top, and Fig.3 is a planl at the line :v x of Fig. 1.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

Grain for its delivery into store-houses or on board of vessels almostuniformly has to be elevated, and this is generally effected by endlessbelts and buckets, and but little or no opportunity is afforded duringthis operation for the moisture to be driven oft', or for the grain tobe cooled in cases where it is or has become heated to a greater or lessextent.

The nature of my invention consists in an arrangement of two or moreelevators, combined with a drying apparatus, whereby the grain caneither be raised and delivered upon a peculiar drying or coolingapparatus and then raised a second time and delivered, or raised anddelivered at once, as the circumstances of the case or the nature of thegrain may require. v

In the drawings, a represents a casing containing an elevator. I haveshown said elevator as formed in three sections, b, c, and d, but theremay be only two sections or more The elevators pass over drums on theshaft e, and beneath other drums on the shaftf, and are driven bycompetent power. The elevators and the grain-receptacles at the bottomare separated by'divisions g and h, that extend up to the top of theelevator-casing a, or nearly so, and the grainreceptacles at the bottomsof the elevators are provided with openings i 7c l to the hopper m, andeach opening is provided with a separate cover or slide. At the top ofthe elevator c is a chute or spout, n, leading out of the apparatus, and

from which the grain passes to any desired receptacle as it isdelivered. Below the chu-te n is a series of alternately converging anddiverging grain-drying tables, o p, that are each placed at such aninclination that the grain will run or slide over them with thenecessary these converging and divergin g tables may be placed side byside, forming a collection, of

diamond-shaped openings or chambers between the tables, the grainpassing from the. lowest point of one chamber upon the apex o f the nextimmediately below and separating into the adjacent chambers. Each tablemay be formed of metal, with longitudinal slots beneath, overhanginglips, as seen in` Fig. 4,

in order that air may pass through said slots and through the grainlying upon or sliding over such tables. The inclosure containing thesetables is made with hollow walls. Those at q q are supplied with airfrom the blowers r r, said air passing ,in between the tables throughopenings at s s, and the hollow walls at t t receive through openings ua and convey away the air charged with moisture from the grain. n

When the grain is to be dried, the valve or gate at k is to be shut, andthe grain is taken from the hopper m by the elevator or elevators b andd and delivered upon the dryingtables o and p, and passes over theirsurface gradually from the top to the bottom, being subjected to theaction of hot air introduced through the blowers r r, said air beingheated by anysuitable furnace. From the lower table the grain passes tothe elevator c, and is again raised and discharged through the spouts nto a vessel or other receptacle.

When the grain is to be cooled in the act of being elevated, theapparatus is employed in the same manner, but instead of heated airbeing introduced the ordinary atmosphere is employed, or said air may becooled or deprived of any'moisture before it'is passed into my apparatusby passing said air through a series of tubes or metal chambers placedunder Water to condense any vapors and insure the air being dry as Wellas cold when it comes in contact with the grain to be cooled.

Grain that is both dry and cool can be raised directly by the elevator cWithout passing over the drying or cooling tables.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, With a drying or cooling apparatus for grain, of twoor more elevators, substantially as specified, so that the grain can bepassed through the drying apparatusand again elevated and delivered, orelevated and delivered at once, substantially as specified.

2. A series of at drying-tables for grain, inclined in alternateopposite direct-ions and receiving the grain from the bottom of one setof tables upon the apex of the tables below, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the series of tables o p, inclined in alternateopposite directions, with the hollow Walls q t, forming' the inletsandroutlets of the air, as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 12th day ofSeptember, 1864. LEWIS S. GHIGHESTER. Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, GHAs. H. SMITH.

